Alaska's Inside Passage Wildlife Explorer

Escape the big cruise ships on an Alaskan adventure that immerses you in wildlife, not crowds of tourists. Alaska’s Southeast Panhandle is wilderness on the grandest of scales. Ice-capped mountains, rising 15,000 feet from the sea, are the backdrop for a maze of fjords carved by glaciers. The world’s largest temperate rain forest blankets hundreds of islands that dot the Inside Passage, the sheltered saltwater route that lies between the open Pacific and the Coast Range. Bears, whales, seals and eagles dominate these environs, where human presence is slight. On foot and at sea, we feel small and insignificant – just as we’d hoped to.

Trip Highlights

Marvel at rare close-up views of black and brown bears in their natural habitat at Anan Creek Bear Observatory, as they fish for spawning salmon

Stand before the thunder of calving tidewater glaciers at the head of Glacier Bay and witness a real-time geological laboratory

Our Inside Passage Voyage is Definitely Different!

Southeast Alaska's Inside Passage holds legendary status as a must-see destination for nature travelers. Big ships have cruised this route for years, and plenty of tourists enjoy that mode of travel. But our exclusive itinerary offers a chance to experience this marine wilderness as few others do – in a mode that’s far more secluded and in depth, getting you much closer to Alaska's epic wildlife. Look at what sets this trip apart from the rest:

A Privately Chartered Yacht for an Intimate Alaskan Adventure
Savor privacy and solitude aboard our luxurious small ship, which carries just 20 guests – in contrast to the 3,000 or more aboard many cruise liners. You’ll watch whales just feet above the water and scout for bears on nearby shores, surrounded by silence – save for calving icebergs and the cry of eagles.

Our Small Ship Goes Places that Big Cruise Liners Can’t
Our vessel's small size means we can offer an immersive wildlife-focused itinerary you won’t find anywhere else. We have access to narrow channels and secluded coves that are off-limits to larger ships – meaning you’ll have matchless experiences in remote wildlife sanctuaries that few visitors get to see!

A Rare Visit to Anan Creek Bear Observatory
Most Inside Passage travelers don’t get to experience the kind of exciting bear viewing that is better known in Katmai National Park way out in western Alaska – but we do! At Anan Creek near Wrangell – virtually unvisited on most commercial trips – we have a chance to look for both brown and black bears feasting on the bounty of Southeast Alaska’s largest pink salmon run.

Overnight in Glacier Bay with a National Park Ranger
Our ship's special permits that allow us to spent the night aboard within Glacier Bay itself – a privilege afforded to very few vessels, and to none of the big cruise ships. What’s more, we’ll have a Glacier Bay National Park ranger aboard to help interpret all we experience, with lots of time for personal conversation.

Alaska’s Best Whale Watching in Frederick Sound
Standard cruise itineraries typically don't spend time exploring Frederick Sound, which is home to some of Alaska’s largest populations of orcas and humpback whales. What’s more, the humpbacks here are known to exhibit an especially high level of breaching behavior – leaping completely out of the sea – always a thrill for fortunate whale watchers to witness!

Multiple Kayaking Excursions – Included!
With our onboard fleet of stable sea kayaks, you can paddle the marine wilderness alongside Dall’s porpoise, sea otters and puffins...There’s nothing like meeting wildlife at eye-level! On a typical cruise you might have a chance to purchase a kayaking excursion in a single port, paddling alongside a whole host of other passengers – but our small ship carries its own kayaks, which we have the option to use in various locations.

Enjoy Personal Interactions with Our Naturalist Expedition Leaders
Aboard large cruise liners you rarely have a chance to get to know the staff personally. The opposite is true on our small-ship adventure. Not only will the ship’s staff be at your beck and call, you’ll travel alongside our own NHA Expedition Leaders, seasoned naturalists who are among Alaska’s most outstanding guides! Read our Expedition Leader bios and traveler comments regarding the quality of our leaders..

Our Quality-Value Guarantee Ensures Your Outstanding Alaska Inside Passage Cruise
With Natural Habitat Adventures, you receive our exclusive guarantee that clearly states that we will meet the high expectations we set forth in our promotional materials. To our knowledge, this is the most ambitious guarantee made by any adventure travel company. Read our important promise for yourself!

Feel Good About the Way You Travel
We all care about the planet, and you can travel with us knowing that the emissions from your trip are 100% carbon-offset. Natural Habitat Adventures is the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company, a feature that is especially critical when considering that northern wildlife is under substantial threat from our planet's warming temperatures.

Natural Habitat Adventures is World Wildlife Fund's Travel Partner
Because of our commitment to environmentally friendly travel, as well as the exceptional quality of our small-group nature adventures, World Wildlife Fund, the world's leading environmental conservation organization, has named Natural Habitat its worldwide travel partner – a designation that makes us exceedingly proud!

Discover Arctic wildlife, Native cultures, and some of the most dramatic glaciated landscapes on the planet on an expedition voyage in the path of polar explorers (various itineraries).
11-25 Days / Jun - Sep / From $6,195